Our story
That is why, at the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, we work together every day with passion and ambition to improve both the survival rate and quality of life for children with cancer. Now and in the future. Because children have their whole lives ahead of them.
The Princess Máxima Center is not an ordinary hospital, but a research hospital. All children in the Netherlands with cancer receive their treatment here. This makes the Princess Máxima Center the largest pediatric cancer center in Europe. More than 600 researchers and 900 care professionals work closely together with Dutch and international hospitals to develop better treatments and new perspectives for a cure.
In this way, we provide the best possible care for the children of today while taking important steps to improve the chances of recovery for those who cannot yet be cured.
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Our story
- A unique mission
The Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology opened in 2018, bringing together the best care professionals and scientists in the field of pediatric oncology to work toward a unique mission: curing every child with cancer, with an optimal quality of life. This mission remains urgent, as one in four children with cancer still does not survive, and many of those who do face lifelong effects from intensive treatments.
- A unique center
In the board of the Princess Máxima Center, the founders hold an essential position: parents of patients and care professionals. The center has been designed around the experiences and needs of children and their families. By bringing together all patients and experts in the Netherlands in one place, we have given a major boost to the quality of treatments and can study different types of childhood cancer more effectively, including the rare forms. This makes us a leader in the field worldwide.
The center was established thanks to the support of people across the Netherlands. Today, diagnosis and treatment are funded by health insurers, with additional support from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). However, for the development of innovative treatments and cutting-edge research, the center relies entirely on the support of both individual and corporate donors.
- The integration of care and research
The Princess Máxima Center aims to fully integrate care and research in pediatric oncology. Our challenge is to ensure that the care team is part of the research process—and vice versa. This happens, for example, in the disease committees, where teams work together to develop tomorrow’s treatments, and in the so-called tumor boards, where physicians and both fundamental and applied researchers discuss each child and their specific diagnosis. Continuous interaction between care and research leads to better care today and new treatment methods for tomorrow.
The close collaboration between care and research creates new treatments and new perspectives. This unique way of working at the Princess Máxima Center enables us to contribute to, and fully benefit from, scientific advances. At the moment, innovations in several fields are driving the development of new therapies, such as immunotherapy, stem cell transplantation, organoid development, and sequencing of all tumors. Breakthroughs are also being made in psychosocial support for children and families—both during treatment and in preparation for life afterward.
Not every child with cancer can be cured yet, but the Princess Máxima Center is the best place for your child to receive treatment.
- A research hospital
The Princess Máxima Center is not an ordinary hospital, but a research hospital—the largest pediatric cancer center in Europe. More than 600 scientists work here on fundamental, translational, and clinical research. Together with colleagues from Dutch academic centers, international hospitals, and specialized research institutes, they are making important progress in improving both survival and long-term quality of life for children with cancer.
The involvement of children and parents in the board ensures that their perspectives are always considered when making decisions. The focus never shifts away from what truly matters: providing the best possible care for the children and families of today.
- Improving survival and quality of life
When a child becomes seriously ill with cancer, there is only one priority: getting better. At the same time, every treatment brings difficult questions and concerns. What will this mean for my child’s quality of life, now and in the future? Will my child still be able to play sports, go to school, or have children later on?
Every day, we work together with passion and determination to push boundaries and improve both the survival rate and quality of life for children with cancer—today and in the years to come. Because children have their whole lives ahead of them.